Process for measuring quantities of loose material, more particularly cut tobacco for continuously fed machines



March 29, 1932; H. SCHUNEMANN PROCESS FOR MEASURING QUANTITIES OF LOOSEMATERIAL, MORE PARTICULARLY CUT TOBACCO CONTINUOUSLY FED IIACHINES FiledNOV. '23. 1927 INVENTOR I 1! (2W6 many Patented Mar. 29, 1932 4 PROCESSFOR MEASURING QUANTITIES OF LOOSE MATERIAL, MORE PARTICULARLY UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE HEINRICH SCHONEMANN, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNORTO NEUERIBURGSCHB VERWALTUNGSGESELLSCHAIT M. B. 3., OF QEREONSHAUS,COLOGNE, GERMANY, A

CORPORATION 01E GERMANY CUT TOBACCO FOR CONTINUOUSLY- FED MACHINESApplication filed November 23, 1927, Serial No. 235,313, and in GermanyDecember 4, 1926.

In dealing with material which in the form of a flocculent or loose massis fedby means of the latter shall always be uniform, because thecontinuous working process does not permit of the use of devices forweighing the quantity of loose material fed per second.

The present invention relates to a process which by simple means permitsof the continuous supervision and regulation of the quantity of loosematerial fed per second to the further manufacturing devices; Theprocess according to this invention consists essentially in the crcumstance that the density of the cloud of loose material flowing downfrom-the belt which conveys the'loose material to the furthermanufacturing processes, for'example, in a cigarette machine to thecigarette rod tape, is directly measured. that V is to say, determinedwith the aid of light and heat radiat on, for example, by placing behindthe cloud of loose material a source of radiatiomasource of light or asource of heat radiation, which is more or less dimmed according to thedensity of the cloud of loose material, so that the action of aninstrument which is sensitive to radiation and which is disposed infront of the'cloud of loose material permits of the direct determinationof the density of the cloud and of the regulation of the quantity ofmatter falling in the form of a cloud and which has to be furthermanufactured. p

The process can also be carried out in many different ways by techn cal,that is to say physical means familiar in themselves. For example,behind the cloud of loose material can be placed a source of light, say,an electric for feeding the cut tobacco tothe' incandescent bulb, theshape of which corresponds suitably to the lateral dispersion of thecloud, and the luminosity of which is as constantas possible, whilst infront of the cloud can be set up a selenium cell or a battery ofselenium cells, or other light-sensitive cells or battery of cells,connected directly in the circuit of a measuring instrument or in ashunt therewith, so that the measuring instrument which is under aconstant tension will give a smaller or larger throw according to thevarious resistances (dependent upon the exposure strength) of the lightsensitive cells, and by means of its throw measure the density of thecloud of material, so that at a defi', nite density of the cloud to suitthe desired weight of the finished product the feed can' be regulatedeas ly from time to time.

In place of photoelectric means of measuring, electric heat measuringmay be applied by placing, for example, in front of the cloud of mattera source of heat radiation, say an incandescent wire, and behindthecloud of material a suitable instrument, for example, a pyrometer or abolometer.

A contrivance, in accordance with the present, invent on, for measuringthe density of the cloud of material in cigarette machines is shown byway of example on the drawing.

1 is the conveyor belt which empties on to the cigarette rod tape 5 thetobacco, fed in the form of a cloud 2, between two transparent plates 3and 4. Behind the plate 4: is placed the source of radiation 6 and infront of the plate 3 the light-sensitive element, preferably a seleniumcell 7, directly or indirectly connected in the circuit of the measuringinstrument (ampereme'ter) 8 which should be at a I claim; A method ofmeasuring tobacco cut to fleece thickness, including the step ofdepositin the tobacco spread out 1n the form of a clou directing raysthrough the falling cloud of material, and simultaneously measuring theintensity of the rays transmitted throughthe cloud.

HEINRICH SCHUNEMANN.

